THQ to try out hybrid pricing scheme with next motocross title

THQ’s Brian Farrell has said the company plans to experiment with a hybrid model of monetization with its titles in the future.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia XIX investors meeting this week, the company president used the firm’s next installment in its motocross as an example, stating it’s to be released at a smaller price point and then switch over to a hybrid of microtransaction and DLC based pricing.

“Normally, we bring the thing out at $59.99, and it does reasonably well – one million to one and a half million units, then when we lower the price to a mass market price and the thing really jumps at the mass markets because, as you might expect, MX is a very mass market brand,” he explained.

“So what we’re doing this time is coming out initially with a smaller game at a lower price point, at the $29-$39 range, and then doing a download model for different modes, different tracks, different vehicles. We call it hybrid because it’s a take on the microtransaction and DLC models.

“I’m a big believer in monetizing everything under the curve so we capture that $29-$39 user no matter what, but if a person wants to spend a $100 on a game then they can do that as well.

“I think that’s the future of gaming. Whether it’s a take on this model or the free-to-play model, this is where our industry is going.”

Farrell said the new MX title is due out sometime during the company’s fiscal year 2012.